The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, has recounted how he entered Zamse Senior High/Technical School (ZAMSTECH) as the last student on a supplementary admission list but went on to graduate as the school’s best student.
Mr Adongo said his experience demonstrated that students could overcome academic and personal challenges through determination and hard work, regardless of their circumstances when they begin their education.
Speaking at the school’s 50th anniversary celebration in Bolgatanga, the MP, who is an old student of ZAMSTECH, recalled that the institution was not a preferred choice for many students when he enrolled.
According to him, the school struggled to attract students through the regular admission process and had to seek permission from the Ghana Education Service (GES) to conduct its own entrance examinations.
“Unlike those days when I came here, it was not a school anybody wanted to come and that is the honest truth, students did not pick this school. So after admissions, this school had to write to GES to get permission to conduct their own internal exams and admit students. We used to call it late entrance exams,” he recounted.
Mr Adongo disclosed that even after taking the supplementary entrance examination, he was placed last on the admission list and did not meet the required qualification.
“I came to this school by late entrance. And even when I came, I was the very last person on the list. And I was not qualified even to enter,” he said.
He recalled that language was among his biggest challenges when he first arrived at the school because he could not speak English or French, which he said were the only languages permitted on campus at the time.
Despite these difficulties, Mr Adongo said he worked to improve his academic performance and eventually emerged as the school’s best student.
“I came here almost an illiterate, and I left here as the best student. So anything is possible. It means that what you think is a limitation is something you can work on and you can become better than the Isaac Adongo that you are proud of,” he told the students.
The MP encouraged current students not to allow their backgrounds or academic difficulties to discourage them from pursuing their ambitions.
Reflecting on the school’s development over the past five decades, Mr Adongo said ZAMSTECH had grown from an institution that struggled to attract students into one that parents now actively consider for their children.
He noted that former students of the institution were pursuing careers in universities, aviation and other professional fields in Ghana and abroad.
Mr Adongo also expressed pride in his association with the school, saying he identified himself first with ZAMSTECH before his position as Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central.
ZAMSTECH, established in 1976, celebrated its Golden Jubilee under the theme, “Celebrating 50 Years of Academic Excellence: Empowering Minds and Shaping the Future, The Role of Stakeholders.”
The anniversary brought together past and present students, school authorities, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to reflect on the institution’s development and future.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | David Azure | Bolgatanga
